In recent years, various areas of research have demanded cost-effective assays and reactions of diminishing scale, increasing efficiency and accuracy, with high-throughput capacity. Multi-well devices with multiple individual wells, such as multi-well plates or multi-well blocks, are some of the most commonly used tools to carry out such reactions and assays. A variety of multi-well arrangements, constructed according to standardized formats, are commercially available. For example, a multi-well device having ninety-six depressions or wells arranged in a 12×8 array is a commonly used arrangement. Conventional multi-well devices may have wells with either fluid-impervious bottom surfaces to retain matter in the wells or open bottoms, in which case a receptacle plate may be placed underneath the multi-well device to collect matter flowing from the wells.
Test plates for numerous applications are well-known in the art. For example, test plates are known for use in culturing tissue samples. Other forms of test plates are adapted for carrying out chemical reactions or for use in micro-chromatography.
For applications requiring filtration, respective filters may be positioned in the wells of a multi-well device. In such applications, vacuum or pressure may be applied to facilitate filtration of fluid samples in the wells of the device. Following filtration, the fluids may be collected in individual containers or wells of a receptacle plate.
Despite these prior inventions, there exists a continuing need for new and improved multi-well apparatus and methods for their use.